<p>At least half of the schools I applied to are sending me info stating that they haven't received the FAFSA and what's so annoying is that we jumped on that right after New Years because we had heard that the earlier you apply, the better you award may be. (I know, probably false) But we did send them all and the website says they were processed over a month ago.</p>
<p>Is this normal? I've emailed the schools and am waiting to hear back as to what to do next. So, can someone tell me why I rushed to file and why it seems like the whole app. process is so flawed?</p>
<p>I can't figure out who's/what's to blame......I know the common app. site sent some apps but failed to send some of my supplements. The interview process at one of the ivies is really messed up with one admissions person telling you to wait until Feb. 15 before calling about it and yet another saying interview reports are due on the 15th.</p>
<p>I'm sure it's not as easy as I would think to handle these applications but this is not a new process. It just seems like there must be an easier way.</p>
<p>my understanding of the FAFSA process is that it is not "sent" but rather the schools you list are then authorized to see your stats on their website. What you need to check is whether you authorized those schools that are calling you and if their info is correct (I think there was a code for the school?). </p>
<p>If you don't correctly list the school and authorize them on the FAFSA, then they don't get the info. If it was just one school, I would say that maybe it is a fluke with their computer -- but with more than one school, it may be the way you filled out the FAFSA. </p>
<p>another thing to double check -- you have received your SAR and you did the filing for 2007-2008, correct? If you accidently did 2006-2007, that could also be the problem.</p>
<p>and -- it is true that for many schools, the earlier you file the more you money you get. that isn't to say that the person who files January 15th will get more than the person that files January 20th -- but most school have early priority dates and distribute the bulk of their money at that time. Kids who file later (late march, april, etc) may end up with just loans and work-study and may miss out on state grant money and institutional grant money. each school is different -- but it does pay to file early.</p>
<p>When I called schools earlier this week to find out if they got our revised FAFSA with 2006 tax info, one of them has NO record of my D even in their system. Funny - she got in EA in mid-December to her first choice major, and Financial Aid "can't find her in the system". We sent the first FAFSA out the 2nd week of January and updated it the first of February after doing our taxes. So, will be calling back later today to see if they "found her"!</p>
<p>Novice--found the same to be true. We had three schools that with online status checking ability where the FAFSA status never changed. However, I also kept calling, and sho 'nuff, the only holdout school that said they hadn't received the FAFSA changed my D's status yesterday. Ironic, that February 15 was the priority filing deadlline, no?</p>
<p>My personal feeling is that they're all just so overwhelmed and don't have enough personnel to do everything.</p>
<p>That is probably the a part of the problem...although most FAA won't admit it too often. I know my office is swimming in paperwork right now and paperwork is EVERYWHERE! Our traditional FA counselors are just about as crazy as I am right now...</p>
<p>One thing I have noticed, as an FAA...sometimes FAFSA's do get hung up in the system. We use a software package that the completed FAFSA's are downloaded into. I have noticed that sometimes a person has truly completed the FAFSA with the correct school code, but it just didn't download into our system, and I have to manually pull the information from the DOE. This problem does seem to occur more often during January, February, July and August...when most students are submitting their FAFSA's.</p>
<p>My best advice would be to verify that FAFSA has processed the application and released it. Sometimes, for some unknown reason, a FAFSA has ben "caught up" in processing for long periods of time. I have a student I am working with now who submitted her FAFSA on Feb 11....and it still has not been released from processing. Her friend submitted her application the same day (Feb 11) and I have already issued her award packet.</p>
<p>I applied to more than six colleges, so how do I make sure that all of my colleges receive my FAFSA? I already listed six and the application is processed already. Should I double check with the six colleges i listed before I change the receipents? Or does the SAR indicate that the colleges already received the FAFSA?</p>